A Momentary Calm
by PeachGirleh
Summary: It is the real story behind High Summoner Braska's Pilgrimage. Follow him as he, Auron, Jecht, and a mysterious woman named Venus travel to the ends of Spira to fight and defeat Sin. They are determined to make this the last reincarnation of SIn, and they end up getting much more than they bargained for.
1. Recruiting Day

A petite, tan skinned, green eyed woman looked up at the sky. She inhaled the clean, crisp air and stretched her arms out. Her slim body sat in a large bed of sun kissed white tulips. The woman lay back and let her long eyelashes meet. Her soft voice spoke. "So this is what it's like huh? I imagined it to be peaceful...but not like this." She looked over at a short blonde haired woman, "Hey, I'm gonna sleep over here." The woman cocked her head confusingly, "How can you be tired in a place like this?" "I don't know. Somehow I feel if I go to sleep, I'll wake up and it'll all be over...we can have a second chance..."

_'I can still remember the first time I met them. They were all so different. Each of them had a different personality. The determined fallen looking for a fresh start...the sedate outcast thinking of nothing but protecting his lord...the jovial foreigner just looking for a way back home. Hell, even I was different...actually I was very different...the apathetic delinquent seeking a purpose. I didn't know it at the time, but our meeting was a blessing. In fact, it changed the course of my entire life. This was no coincidence...it was fate.'_

"Venus! Room's 3 and 4 need to be cleaned so do it now!" A short slender woman stood up from her seat. She had long light brown hair. Her eyes were a medium green, and she had a series of earrings in her left ear. She wore a long sleeved cropped shirt and high split long skirt with short boots. The woman sighed, "Oh whatever. How much longer do I gotta work here anyway?" The older man yelled at her, "I'll let you know when your debt is repaid! For now, grab that broom and get to cleaning!" Venus rolled her eyes and just as she was making her way to the back, she heard screams coming from outside the inn. A frightened woman came running in, "A fiend! It's trying to eat the chocobos!" The older man walked over to the short woman, "Alright, change of plans. I'll take care of the rooms. You go protect the chocobos." She growled, "Make up your mind old timer! And why do I have to help the chocobos? I might break a nail." He pushed the girl out the door and she grabbed a large alchemist gun on the side of the entrance.

"Alright boy, no more eating the birdies...Hmm, let's see what kind of ammo I can mix up today." She reached in her tan satchel, "Only one grenade huh? Whelp, it'll have to do." She dismembered the bomb and put the mixture inside of the gun. "Alrighty then. Bye bye fiend!" She pointed the gun at the monster and put her finger on the trigger. As she pulled back, a hand reached on the gun, and made her fire at a wall of snow in the distance. "Don't!" The woman angrily looked back at the person, "Who do you think you are? That was my only shot! The chocobos are gonna die now 'cause of you!" The man was a taller pale skinned blue eyed man. He wore shrouding red and purple clothes with a long headpiece wrapped around his head. He shook his head, "No. If you fired that, the chocobos would have died, and so would you. The blast radius of your weapon is too high. You see the mess it made out of that walldon't you?" She looked over and saw the large melted hole in the distanced snow. Her eyes turned to two other men advancing toward the fiend and beginning to subdue it. The woman pointed at the man, "You didn't answer my question...who are you?" The man bowed before her, "My name is Braska, and I apologize for upsetting you, but the situation just seemed dangerous."

One of the men looked back at the two and laughed. He was a tan shirtless man with a large tattoo on his chest. "Hey Braska, we're kicking its ass! You want in on this?" The man shook his head, "You're doing fine Jecht." The taller man looked back down at the woman, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." He extended a friendly hand and she just stared at it. "What are you doing? I'm not touching you, I don't even know you." He chuckled politely, "I see. Well listen, my guardians and I have had a rough day and we'd like to stay in some of the rooms here."

Venus shrugged, "You sure? I'm gonna be completely honest with you. The rooms are small, the service is poor, and if they dare make me cook your food I wouldn't eat it if I were you." She smiled a cheeky smile as she broke down the dynamics of the inn. Before the man could respond, Jecht ran to the two, "Braska! Auron ain't doing so well. The fiend got him good!" The high summoner looked at the girl, "Hold that thought." He ran to his friend and Venus came as well. The man grunted from the pain, "Jecht, you mess around too much." Braska looked at the man, "What happened?" "Jecht kept toying with the thing and it got enraged." Venus looked at the man, "Let me see your injury." He moved his hand and she sighed, "I can't see it through your shirt, take off your shirt."

She rolled her eyes, "I gotta do everything? Forget it, I don't need to see…though it would have helped. I can get that fixed up in no time." She looked back into her satchel and grabbed a couple items. "Here, drink this and you'll be good. I can't have people dying on the property or the owners will fine me for that too." The woman went back inside and set her gun at the door. She sighed, "Dammit! I just gave that guy my last elixirs! Ughhh! I could have used that!" She sat on an old wooden chair and exhaled, "I need a break." She looked over as she saw the inn door open. It was Braska. He looked around until his eyes met with the woman's. "Yes?" She raised her eyebrows. He bowed at the woman, "We would like a room please. Three of them." The older man came from the back rooms, "Oh, Lord Braska! Venus, why didn't you tell me we had such a magnificent guest? My Lord, please tell me why you have graced my inn with your presence?"

He smiled, "Well, I'm getting ready to start my pilgrimage. Right now we're on our way to the temple in Macalania and I'd like to rest first before we get there." The man nodded, "No problem my lord. Please, have the deluxe rooms. It's on the house." "Thank you sir." The three men made their way to the back, and the old man looked at Venus. "Why are you sitting? There is still work to be done out back!" She rolled her eyes and made her way to the back of the inn. "I hate this damn place!" She walked over to a large wagon and began to fix it up. "So your name is Venus?" She turned around and it was Braska. The man smiled, "It's a very lovely name." The woman sighed, "Thanks. I'm sure you didn't come out here to compliment me." She dropped her tools and turned completely toward the man. "What's your play Braska?" He chuckled at her words, "Am I that obvious? Well I wanted to thank you for healing Auron. He's feeling a lot better already. Your talent with mixing is extraordinary. I think you would be a great asset. Lady Venus, I ask that you join me on my pilgrimage and become my guardian."

She leaned up against the wagon and began to laugh, "A guardian, me? You're barking up the wrong tree. If you hadn't noticed, I don't really like working at this place. I'm not here on my own accord. I owe this inn an outstanding debt, and they aren't going to let me go until I'm done paying them off." She widened her eyes and pointed at them, "Besides, look in my eyes. Lyh oui hud caa E ys Ym Prat? (Can you not see I am Al Bhed) Ain't it against the teachings for my kind to be a guardian?" "I have nothing against the Al Bhed. In fact, I married one...as for your debt, come with me."

He dragged the girl back into the inn, and bowed before the old man. "Excuse me, how much will it cost to free this woman from her debt?" The man frowned, "Lord Braska, you don't want pay her off, do you? This woman is a common thief." He shrugged, "I don't care. I will pay whatever it is as long as she can leave with us tomorrow morning." Venus put her hands on her hips, "Don't I get a say in this? I kinda want to be in control over my own destiny." The old man scoffed, "You lost control over your destiny when you-" "Okay! Okay! I get it, we don't have to talk about this!"

Braska took out a small bag from his sleeve, "How much do I owe you?" The old man smiled, "For you Lord Braska, I will give you a discount...she still owes 250,000 gil, but you will only have to pay half." The woman sighed loudly, "I feel like an object. I'm going outside!" She walked out and sat on a small mound of snow as shelooked out at the fading sky. She pulled a sphere out of her satchel and started recording...

"I think today is the first day of the of the end of my life. A summoner named Braska has just recruited me as his guardian today. I had absolutely no say in it. He just paid off my debt, and now I have to follow him to the end of Spira. Now that I say it out loud, it doesn't really seem so bad. I guess it'll be like one long vacation. It's gonna be kind of weird though. I'm gonna be the only girl traveling around with three guys. So far I don't know how to feel about Braska. He's very persistent...I guess it's kind of endearing. The other guy's name is like Jet or Jecht or something. I don't really remember. And the last one is Auron. I don't have anything to say about those two. We haven't formally met yet...I just wonder if they'll like me though...Uhhhh Fryd ys E cyoehk!? (What am I saying!?) I'm done with this sphere."

She turned off the sphere and looked back at the setting sun. "I can't believe I finally get to leave this inn. It's been 2 years since my debt has started and I'm ready to see the world now." A smile cracked on her face and it soon faded as an upset voice sounded behind her. "Lord Braska paid for your freedom with a large fraction of his travel money. Don't ever take that in vain. I don't agree to you traveling with us. You're a delinquent, and I will keep an eye on you." The woman chuckled at the man's words. She stood up and put her hand on his stomach. "Now, now. Is that any way to thank the woman who healed your injuries?" He moved her hand away and looked deep into her swirled eyes, "Don't you get any ideas. I'm gonna watch you this whole way. My lord see's something in you for whatever reason. We are making it to the end with or without you. Be ready in the morning. We set out at dawn."

He began to walk away and the woman was literally fuming with anger. "How dare he think he can talk to me like that." She clenched her fist and looked around on the ground for something, anything." She found a small rock and threw it at the back of the man's head. She quickly turned around and looked back at the sky. She began to suspiciously whistle as if she hadn't done anything. She picked up the sphere again and turned it on. "And screw Auron!" She turned it back off and put it back in her satchel. "Ugh, this really is the beginning of the end isn't it?"


	2. Hitting the Road

_'It was the first day we were going to head out. I remember it was so sky was dark, and the stars were just beginning to fade. I still get chills thinking about waking up that day. His hands were so cold. They were cold, and filled with much weight and anger. It was the last time I ever slept in...but it wasn't the last time he...'_

The woman felt a hand shake her arm. She sleepily swatted away the hand, "Go away, I'm sleeping." The hand shook her more firmly and she growled, "Get your cold hand off me, I'm sleeping." A moment of peace finally came...but that's all it was, a felt her body get picked up and swung over someone's shoulder. Her body shivered from the cool morning air. Her bloodshot, sleep deprived eyes widened. She saw a deep red cloth swinging back and forth in the wind. She yelled at the man, "Hey! Put me down!" He continued on until he completely left the inn. The man set her down and she looked at the group. Auron looked to Braska, "We're ready to go." The summoner chuckled, "Auron, did you really carry her out of bed?" She put her hands on her hips, "He sure the hell did! How rude! Come on, I mean the sun isn't even up yet! It's already cold during mid day, but it's freezing right now!"Braska looked back at her, "I apologize Venus, but we need to leave. We have to head to the Macalania temple and you like to say goodbye before we leave?" She shook her head, "Nah, it's okay. I never cared too much for these people anyway. Let's just hit the road." The woman looked around, "So are we taking chocobos or something?" Auron pointed at the road ahead, "Get to walking knave." The woman frowned, "Ladies first."

As they started walking, Jecht and Venus continued on in the back of the group. The man laughed at the pouty woman, "Don't mind Auron. He's tough, but it's just cause he's caring and shit." She crossed her arms, "Caring? About who? Not me." He shook his head, "He cares about Braska and protecting wants nothing but to see this pilgrimage thing through." She raised an eyebrow, "Pilgrimage thing? Jecht, right? Where exactly are you from?" He laughed as he looked ahead, "If Itold you, you wouldn't believe me." She picked a bit of snow out of her boot, "Come on, tell me. It'll take the attention away from this grueling walk...You aren't gonna tell me that you're an orphan from the top of Iutycyr Tower or anything are you?" "Zanarkand. I'm from Zanarkand. I'm not from this time at all actually, and I don't even know what a...Iutycyr is. The Zanarkand I'm from apparently has been in ruins for 1000 years." She stopped walking and just looked at the shook his head as he still continued, "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

She ran up to catch up with him, "It's not that I don't believe you...it's just really crazy. I can't imagine being from 1000 years in the past. You seem quite jovial to be a man who lost everything he once knew...Tell me, how did you get here anyway?" Jecht shrugged, "It was Sin. He carried me through time I guess. I had a wife and kid that I left back there...it's all so strange. I still barely understand what's going on." The woman smiled, "It could still be your Zanarkand you know? Not many people have been there, so you never know..." Her eyes shifted downward, "But let's not talk about Sin okay? Let's talk about...Auron. He's so mean! Ican't stand that guy you know!" The warrior monk looked back, "Just because you're talking to Jecht doesn't mean I can't hear you." She bit her lip in anger, "Oh forget you! You don't even know me! You mean ponytail wearing jerk!"

She ran ahead to the two, "You know, I've known you for less than a day and you are just so mean to me. You got something against Al Bhed?" The man looked past her to Braska, "Do we really have to travel around with this commoner?" She was very easy to overlook considering both Braska and Auron towered over herby nearly a foot. She put her hands in the air, "Wait a second! You need to answer me! Do you not like Al Bhed? Belg ouin funtc lynavimmo."(Pick your words carefully) The man stopped and looked into the girl's eyes, He stared at the spiral's that overshadowed her jade colored iris'."If you're truly curious as to why I don't like you, allow me to make things more clear. I've know you for a combined total of 8 hours and you've done nothing but complain in that time, you tacked on 2 hours of traveling by sleeping in, the only thing we know about you is the fact that you are Al Bhed, and for whatever reason you owed an outstanding debt to that inn in which you made Lord Braska pay for."

"I didn't ask him to pay for me. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to be out of that inn, but that's not the can't hold that against me...You are just a pain to be around! How much longer until we reach the Temple?"Jecht came up behind the three and nodded, "Yeah, I was just going to ask that same question. Seems like we've been walking forever." The brunette woman nodded dramatically, "Yes! He gets it! I'm taking a break. Do you see this footwear? These boots were not made for walking. Especially in the snow." She did as spoken and planted herself on a boulder on the side of the road." Braska walked over to the girl and knelt to her eye level like a father talking to his child.

"We're almost there Venus. If we continue from here, we'll only have one hour left to walk." She shook her head, "My feet hurt. I can't go on. Guess picking me to travel with you was a bad idea huh?" The man shook his head, "I still have high hopes for you actually. Tell me though, why do you carry so much anger? Please, tell me." She turned her head from the man, "I don't hold anger, just passion. Let's make a deal. If Idon't have to talk about my past, I'll continue walking." The man smiled, "Deal." His words agreed, but he had no true intention of giving up his search for her past. He wanted to know about this girl. It was true that the reason he wanted her to travel was because of her curative talents...but he felt some kind of gravitational pull toward this woman. There was adeeper reason he wanted her around, and it wasn't strictly for elixirs.

She slouched over as she began to woman poked out her lip, "Alright Braska, remember the deal. No talking about anything...well, about me anyway. Doesn't mean I don't get to ask about you three though. My kidnappers gotta have a back story right?" Jecht laughed, "Is that what we are? Kidnappers? You ain't exactly here against your will ya know." The woman stuck out her tongue, "Actually I am...but whatever. No one has to say anything."

She marched ahead even though she had no idea which direction the temple was in. She looked into Braska's blue eyes, "The faster we get through this pilgrimage, the faster we'll be out of each other's said it was an hour to the temple a while ago. We should almost be there right? I doubt they'll invite me into the temple considering I'm an Al Bhed...so what then?" The man looked down, "I don't care what Yevon's teachings say. You are my guardian, so you are allowed inside." She shook her head, "You're 'll have us both killed if that were the case." She watched as the man twiddled his thumbs, "What?" Braska smiled nervously, "When I said that we have an hour left of walking, I only meant until we reach the rest still have about 9 hours left. But don't worry. If we hurry and rest, we'll be there even sooner." Venus tapped her foot, "Okay, wait! Tell me the hell kind of route are we going on? What summoner starts in theirjourney in Macalania?" The man shook his head, "Actually we started in Bevelle, but we came on the down route because I was in search of something."

She raised abrow, "Well...did you find it?" "I think so." The brunette tapped her chin, "So, did you just decide to wing your pilgrimage? Usually summoners have a better system than just starting in a place because of a search." Auron frowned, "You have quite a mouth on you. I'd watch what I'd say if I were you." She rolled her eyes, "Oh good, the puppet speaks. You aren't gonna search for anything else are you?" The man shook his head, "No, actually we are on a clear path downward. I have a planned route, I assure you." The woman sighed, "Whatever you say." She fell back a bit as she looked at the glassy ice scenery around her.

As they continued to walk forward, The woman stopped as she heard a quiet growl coming from one of the caves on the side of the road. She pulled out her gun and aimed, "Fiends!" The other three turned around and saw her facing an Evil Eye, a Snow Wolf and a Murussu. The others pulled out their weapons, and Jecht struck first. He swung his sword at the Snow Wolf and knocked off it's feet before it could even make a move. The man laughed, "Leave all those guys to me. I'm just too quick for them haha!" Venus smirked, "Oh yeah? Let me show you something even more impressive." She reached into her satchel and added two Power Sphere's, "I call this a Pinapple!" She shot the weapon at the Floating Eye and it reduced to ashes before it hit the ground.

The pyreflies floated away from the fallen fiends, but there was still one more left. As she was celebrating her kill, she didn't notice the Murussu coming for blood. Before it could attack her, Braska stood in the way and guarded the woman. He fell to his knees and held his damaged stomach. Auron yelled out, "My lord!" He ran to the fiend and slashed through it with a powerful piercing blow. The woman ran to the summoner, "Here, drink this!" She handed the man a single potion. "It's not much, but it's all I have right now. It'll tie you over until we reach the rest area."

_'That was the first time anyone had ever saved me. He put my life before his own. Why, I wondered? I didn't understand why he would do such a thing. It may sound terrible, but if we switched places, I don't think I would have taken that hit for him. It's selfish, but I couldn't sacrifice myself for them...I don't even know them. I wouldn't prematurely end my life for someone else...could I?'  
_  
The group finally reached the rest area. It was a mall establishment located in one of the mountain caves. It was much like the one in Macalania, but more secluded. The woman stood outside of the doorway, "Go ahead, I'm gonna stay out here for a bit." The three looked at her and she rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna run away." Auron nodded, "I know, because you're coming inside." She sighed as she walked into the establishment. She immediately walked to the counter and sighed, "Four rooms please...it's...on me..." She took out 1000 gil and paid the man. As the men walked back, she stayed at the counter." Let me see your items, I need to buy things." She didn't have very much money on her, just 3,000 gil woman cringed as her purchase stripped her of half her money. She walked back into her room and lay her things opened her satchel and began to mix the potions together. As she held the concoction, she exited the room. One of the doors was cracked and she could hear a voice.

"Her name is Venus. She's such a tough nut to crack...but I know beyond those layers is something even greater than she knows. She reminds me of you so much. I don't know what else to say really. We just met, but I think she's just great. She's got talent and I think she's something really special...anyway, I wish you were here...I love you."

Just as he stopped recording, the woman walked in. He was undressed as he sat on his bed. All he wore was a pair of pants and boots. Venus didn't much mind about giving him personal space. She patted the man's head, "Aww, who knew behind that cloth was a big head of brown hair? Lay back okay?" The man did as told and rested his head against the pillows. She frowned, "You idiot...Why would you take that hit for me? You're the summoner here. We're supposed to protect you dummy, not the other way around." She handed the man the mixture of potions, "Drink up...goodnight Braska."He grabbed the woman's hand, "Wait...thank you, Venus." "You're welcome, now go to sleep." He nodded, "I'm only taking a light nap. Rest up. We leave in a couple hours." The woman left the room and went into her own. She started to record on the sphere of her own...

"Right now we are in a rest area on the way to Macalania Temple. It's somewhere between the inn and...go figure, the temple. More than anything, I just wish this pilgrimage would end soon...I know it's not though...Braska just started...Ugh! I've been robbed of so many things in my life, and this journey is taking even more of my time. I feel like if I keep running into these obstacles, I'll never live a normal life. All I want is to belong somewhere. I keep getting forced into these situations, and I've never once been able to do anything on my own...Iwill lead Braska to the worlds edge, and then...that's when Iwill start my life...this is just…a momentary delay."

/div


	3. Changing Paces

_'We were on our way to the temple in Macalania. Braska said after we rested it would be a 9 hour walk. A straightforward woman like me could appreciate the honesty...but it felt like were were walking for days. It seemed like in the time it was taking us to walk to this temple, we could have went to Bevelle and back 20 times. My back hurt, my feet hurt, everything hurt...but when I saw the temple for the first time...all that pain was whisked away and thrown into Lake Macalania.'_

"Here." The woman saw a pair of dark sunglasses in her eye line. She pushed the hand away, "Yeah, no thanks Auron. I don't want your sunglasses. What I could use is a cushy bed and a foot massage though." The man shook his head, "You just don't get it do you. They don't welcome Al Bhed into the temples. The only true way to tell is from your eyes, so put on the glasses." She looked at her own reflection in the glasses, "It's very uncommon for people to wear sunglasses indoors you know. They're gonna be suspicious." She put the glasses on, "But hell, it's my funeral right?" Braska put a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Don't say that. You'll be okay." Jecht scratched his head, "Uh, can someone tell me what's so bad about these Al Bhed people? They are just people aren't they?" The woman nodded, "Damn straight we are. But according to Yevonites, we should be condemned for using machina...oh, excuse me, forbidden machina." "What's the difference between machina and forbidden machina?" Venus smiled, "I'm glad you asked! Forbidden machina are things like the weapon I use, and other machina are the same exact thing held by a Yevonite."

She pushed the glasses up on her face a bit more, "I've got nothing against Yevon, it's just those damn followers I can't stand." Braska looked at the woman, "Oh? You can't stand me too?" She rolled her eyes, "I'll say this. You are...the least annoying of Yevon's followers." The summoner pointed to the distance, "Hey, look. You can see the temple from here. The woman smiled, "No way!" She ran in the deep snow until she reached a rimless bridge of ice and snow. She looked down off the bridge and lowered her glasses, "Whoa, now isn't that something." Braska teased the woman, "I thought you were tired?" She shook her head fiercely, "How can I be anything but happy when there's something so beautiful in front of me? I'd be an idiot to not take advantage of this opportunity." The lake was so huge, it could swallow her whole and erase her from history all together. She cautiously walked to the edge of the narrow path and gazed at her surroundings. "If a picture is worth 1000 words, than real life is worth a million."

_'It was at that point I started to ponder on my situation. I had no intention on taking it seriously, but seeing Lake Macalania reminded me that I would have the privilege of seeing the world. My eyes haven't seen anything like this...but...I was also reminded of something else too...my kind wasn't welcomed everywhere, so if I really did want to see the world, I would have to be confined to this single item...Auron's glasses.'_

The hymn of the fayth could be heard outside of the temple. Jecht cracked a smile, "Hey, I know this song." Venus waved her hand dismissively, "Everyone knows it. It's the hymn of the faith." Braska stopped, "Hmm, there's already another summoner in there." The four entered the temple and Venus pushed up her glasses. Though she was a proud Al Bhed, she didn't want to get condemned for just entering the temple or anything crazy. She left her forbidden weapon on the side of the entrance near the short steps.

They walked into the temple and it was almost surreal. The woman looked around with her tented view. "This...is interesting. Never thought I'd be standing here." Braska walked over to one of the statues and began to pray. Venus looked over, "It's weird. As guarded as these temples are, I'd imagine there to be priests to greet us...yet..." The summoner looked back, "It's probably because of the other summoner already in the Chamber of the Fayth. I think I have an idea of who it is." He stood up and looked to the door withholding the Cloister of Trials, "Come. Let's go."

As they went up, they found a long bridge heading to the Chamber of the Fayth. Venus laughed sarcastically, "Ah, so this is where all of the priests went. I didn't think they hovered over a summoner this much." The door lifted and a summoner came out. It was a man with long silver hair and a shrouding black robe. Braska bowed, "Summoner Kin." The man's two guardians came to his side. One was a taller red haired female, and the other was a tall black haired male. Kin spoke to the man, "I'm surprised you're still following through with your pilgrimage. A fallen summoner certainly doesn't expect to defeat Sin?" Jecht turned to Venus, "Who the hell is that?" She watched as the conversation continued, "Wow, you really aren't from here huh? That's summoner Kin. He is actually the favorite to defeat Sin, if you will. I don't keep up with summoners and pilgrimages, but everyone knows about him. He's already been claimed as the hero even though he hasn't done anything yet. It's just, his father was the man who defeated the previous generation of Sin."

The silver haired man walked over to the short woman, "Sunglasses indoors? Let me see your eyes." Venus shook her head, "For what? I don't know you, and I don't owe you a damn thing so you can get out of my face." He leaned closer to her face, "As I thought. You know, people like you and I could change the world." The woman laughed, "Sorry, I'm already babysitting one summoner and I'm kinda iron clad to this one." He lightly raised her chin and smiled, "That's not what I meant at all. Defeating Sin isn't the only way to change the world. I know what lies beyond your glasses. You are very beautiful...Until we meet again m'lady." The man walked out and left Braska to finally pray in peace.

Venus pushed the glasses up a bit more, "Guess you can go pray now Braska." The man nodded and made his way into the Chamber of the Fayth. The woman crossed her arms and stared blankly at the wall. She tapped her foot as it was all she could do to at the moment. Being so quiet, the tap of her heal echoed throughout the entire room. Jecht walked over to the woman, and before he could say anything, she started. "Tell me about your Zanarkand Jecht. I'm sure the place you're from aren't the ruins they claim to have now." He was a bit taken back as she spoke. The man intended to talk about the words of the summoner, but if she didn't want to address it, he wouldn't either...for now anyway. "My Zanarkand? Well it's nice, real nice. The buildings are huge. Way bigger than anything they got in Spira. They don't really got fiends though, and when they do...it's a pretty big deal. The people loved blitzball too. It was a huge sport there and of course I was the star. No one was better than me. Hell I set the bar so high that even in the past 1000 years they probably haven't found a player of my caliber." The woman smirked, "Your confidence is very unbecoming...but it's also charming."

As they were going to continue, the door rose from the Chamber of the Fayth, and out walked Braska. He was very weak, but still up on his feet. Auron looked to the man, "My lord, are you alright?" He nodded, "Yes, but I think it's best if we rest a bit. From here we're going to head south through the Thunder Plains. We're going to Djose, so we have to pass through Guadosalam and Moonflow on our way." Venus frowned, "Moonflow? I think that's just a waste of time. We don't need to go to Moonflow." Braska smirked, "We're going. Let's head down now okay? We're resting here for only an hour and then we're heading back out."

They made their way back to the icy bridge, but this time it was completely missing. The woman sighed, "The Cloister of Trials? How are we gonna get through this?" Braska looked toward the group, "Everyone take a sphere, it'll be faster if we all do this." Both Jecht and Venus looked confused as they were both new to Cloister of Trials...though Jecht had one up on her. The woman leaned up against a wall, "Well, I don't know what the hell to do, so I'm just gonna stand here." As she did, she took out a sphere and started recording...

"Okay, right now I'm in the Cloister of Trials in Macalania. Can you believe it? Me? Anyway, this place is gigantic. It's pretty amazing. I wish everyone could see it. This pilgrimage is gonna let me see the world in a way I never could when I was a girl." "You speak as if you're an old lady." The woman turned off the sphere and looked over at Jecht, "Huh?" The man chuckled, "You said you could never travel like that when you were a girl. What are you 19?" Venus shook her head, "22 actually." "19, 22, whatever. My point is, you're still young. Quit talking like you're some geezer." The girl chuckled, "You too, you're not old either Jecht." He shrugged, "Hey, some people would beg to differ." Braska called to the two, "Hey, we're going up now." Auron growled, "It would have been faster if you two helped." The woman chuckled, "Auron really doesn't like us very much does he?" "Like I said, he's just serious about this pilgrimage...and everything else in life."

As they came down the stairs, the woman looked over to Braska. "Hey, I'm gonna sit outside. Get your rest okay? I just kinda feel like I'm walking on eggshells in here." The man shook his head, "I insist you get your rest. It'll be a long journey back to the Macalania Woods." The sighed, "Don't trust me still? Hey, my job is to be a guardian. It's all about your health, not mine." The woman made her way to the entrance and walked to the middle of the bridge once again.

_'When I told Braska that it was my job to be his guardian, I was lying. I just said anything to get out of that damn temple. Why did he want me to be his guardian anyway. Hell, almost 2 days ago he wouldn't have known me from a hole in the wall. Going to Moonflow was something I wasn't looking forward to either...I'd expose too much history for strangers who would never understand.'  
_  
"Hey." The woman turned and saw Auron standing before her. "Don't think about running off." She lowered her glasses and rolled her eyes at the man, "Yeah, I'll run away from here and then go where?" The woman shrugged, "I don't have anywhere to go. I hated it at that stupid inn, but it was also the only home I had." She looked up at the man and shooed him away, "Okay, you can go now. I already told I wouldn't leave." The two were in an intense stare down until the woman poked at his face. "Is this really your resting facial expression? You're too serious. What, do you think that if you let up a bit then nothing will get done? Come on Auron. I haven't known you for very long, but let down your hair sometimes huh? Jump into water fully clothed! Hell, wear sunglasses indoors!"

She grabbed the back of his ponytail and pulled out his band. "Hey, give me that back!" She shook her head as she put the band in her satchel. "I didn't come out here to play with you." "Oh yeah, then why did you come here? ...let me see your sword. Let me see your sword and I'll give you your hair tie back." The man rolled his eyes, "Are you serious? Forget it. You can't handle my sword, you'll hurt yourself. It's too big." She lowered her eyelids, "That a euphemism? Gimme the damn sword Auron. I just wanna see it." He sighed irritably as handed her the large katana. It was nearly bigger than her length wise. Her eyes brightened as she held the heavy piece of metal. Her weak arms struggled to lift it up, and by the time she got it over her head, the katana fell back and forced her body down with it. She would have fell off the bridge, but Auron grabbed the woman just in time. He held her waist in his grasp. She had one arm wrapped around his neck, and the other still holding onto the katana.

_'That was...the first time I ever looked into his eyes. They were brown and...I don't know what to say. It's funny...I was lost for words back then too.'_

She breathed heavily as she looked at her 'almost' grave, "Long way down huh?" When she looked back, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. It was so strange. She felt weak, almost helpless. He literally had her life in his hands, and he could do whatever he pleased with it. Her eyes burned with the strength. Although it was he who held all of the power, her eyes read otherwise. Her eyes said that she was more than capable of controlling her destiny..."Whatcha up to kiddos!?" The two looked over and saw an amused Jecht recording them on a sphere. The woman struggled to hand him the sword, "Uh here. This belongs to you." He grabbed the weapon and released his grasp on the woman. She dug into her bag and pulled out his hair tie. The woman reached up and wrapped it back into his hair. "Uh...thanks..." She stuck her tongue out at Jecht, "And Good-Bye Jecht!" The taller man put the sword over his shoulder and began to walk off. Venus put her hands over her rose colored cheeks tried to fight the warfare going on in her head. She thought of doing too much and ended up doing nothing. The woman sat in the snow and looked down at the lake.

Jecht walked over to the woman and smiled as he still held the sphere. "I guess I shoulda expected that. I mean, we are traveling with two kids around the same age." Venus picked up a snowball and threw it at the man. "Shut up Jecht! Who are you even recording that for?" He turned off the sphere and sat next to the girl. "I'm recording it for my boy. I want him to know what it's like in Spira." Venus lay back into the snow and spread her wingspan, "Jecht, I want to see your Zanarkand...to be honest, when you told me that's where you were from...I believed you, and I still do. I think that's the one thing I look forward to beside the pilgrimage itself ending." "You know, it ain't that bad Venus. I know you don't like the long walks and shit, but think of it as training." The woman sat back up, "Training? For what?" "For when you come to Zanarkand. The city never sleeps, and you can bet your sweet ass I'm gonna make you walk everywhere." The woman smiled "Promise!?" The man nodded, "Yeah. I want all of us to go back there. The only thing is you might not want to go back once your there." She shook her head, "I don't think I will either." The man stretched, "Now let's go get Braska. He's probably ready to leave now."

_'He promised me that he would take me to Zanarkand. Come hell or high water, he was going to get me there. That conversation stuck with me. Anytime I thought of the depth of my situation, thinking of Zanarkand got me through it all. Macalania was the shortest trip to a temple we ever had. Little did I know we would be facing an even longer and more grueling battle. My feet hurt, but if I really did want to see Zanarkand...I'd have to get used to it.'  
_  
They were back on the road again and facing more hours of a grueling walk. Her lips were sealed this time. Not a peep would come out of her. The brunette woman held up her sphere as she walked in the middle of the group. "Okay, so we're almost done with our near 15 hour walk. We can finally see the old inn I used to work at. It's been pretty intense, but hey, I thought I'd brighten the mood with a recording I guess. She handed the sphere to Braska, "Record for me will you? I've gotta mix up an elixir before I keep walking." The man nodded, "Auron, could you stand closer to him?" The warrior paused for a moment. He was about as fond of Jecht as he was of Venus. He wasn't happy about it, but he got as close to the man as his comfort would allow. The summoner nodded, "Good, that should do it." Jecht turned to the man, "What's the matter? Afraid I might bite?" "Jecht..." Auron said to the man a tad irritably. The tan man looked back toward the sphere, "Braska, you should take one too. It'd make a great gift for little Yuna!" The man nodded, "I supposed." Auron walked toward the man, "Lord Braska, we shouldn't be wasting our time like this!" Jecht shrugged, "What's the hurry man?" He began to walk away until he reached the least nearby snowless forest of Macalania. Auron growled, "Let me tell you what the hurry is!" "Auron!" Braska turned off the sphere and handed it back to Venus. "Sorry." She shrugged, "Hey, at least it's not me in any conflict."

The warrior continued, "This pilgrimage cannot wait. Or are you just dying to see more homes and families destroyed by Sin?" Venus followed behind the men and looked around at the sparkly forest. "Whoa, this place is beautiful." Braska looked back at the woman, "There are 2 different routes we can go in. We can either go the long way with a break, or the short way with no breaks." The woman frowned, "How long is the short way?" He calculated in his head, "It's not very long. Just a few hours." "Short way it is then." There was a sparkling pathway that lead up. The woman clutched tightly to her gun, "I hear there are a lot of fiends in these woods." Braska nodded, "There are, but that's with the exception of this particular road. The fiends don't usually make it up here." The woman sighed, "That's a relief." In her eye she saw something bright growing from one of the trees. Curiously, she ran over to it, "Whoa, what is this?" The men stopped and looked as well. Braska smiled, "Ah, the Celestial Tree. Hundreds of years ago, it was said that warriors would come to this tree to have their weapons blessed before battle. There were certain components people needed to have though, or the tree would repel them." Venus shrugged, "Let's try it! I got the right stuff!" She held up her large gun and presented it to the tree. The gun began to float out of her hands and toward the tree. She smirked, "I knew it."

Within seconds, the gun flew back into the girl and knocked her off the glossy pathway and into the deep woods. Hitting nearly every tree branch on the way down, she was going to be in pretty bad shape by the time she hit the ground. "Venus!" She could hear Braska's voice fade as the trees drowned him out. The woman fell until her back finally slammed on the forest floor. She grunted as she held her back. "Ughhh!" She could hear loud roars surrounding her. They finally made their appearance, and each of them were a poisonous fiend. She panted as her shaky hands reached for her gun. "It's a good thing I mixed that elixir before I fell down here. I only have one fail-safe, but I don't know if it's enough." She pulled out the the mixed drink and gulped it down in one giant swig. "Bring it on you bastards! You want a piece of me!?" She licked her bloodied lips, "All of you come at me at once! I'll burn you all to the ground!"


End file.
